Garment container



y 1965 G. A. GUNDERSEN 3,134,049

GARMENT CONTAINER Filed Dec. 6, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG]. ./4 M

I I l May 18, 1965 G. A. GUNDERSEN GARMENT CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1962 May 1965 G. A. GUNDERSEN GARMENT CONTAINER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 6, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 6, 1962 United States Patent ,35 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to containers and more particularly to the type of container capable of having a garment, provided with a collar packaged therein.

It is known to provide garments, such as shirts, blouses and the like, with separate stiffening members for packaging purposes. For instance, it is known in the laundry art, to return laundered shirts to a customer with the shirt packaged with a stiffening paperboard panel located within the folded shirt, a paperboard stiffening member located about the neck opening of the shirt, a paper band around the shirt, and the entire assembly packaged within a polyethylene bag. Obviously, the cost of supplying the various integers for this type of package, exclusive of the shirt, is quite expensive. Moreover, the cost of the amount of labour involved in assembling each package is also quite high.

Furthermore, it is known in the laundry art, to return laundered shirts to a customer with the shirt packaged with a stifiening paperboard panel located within the folds of the shirt, said panel provided with an upstanding end wall integrally connected to one terminal end edge of the panel, and a cover-part integrally and hingedly connected to the upper edge of the vertical end wall, said cover-part being adapted to be folded over the neck of the shirt. With this known type of package, the cover-part has been provided with a hingeable stiffening member, integrally and hingeably connected thereto, and which is adapted to be located about the exterior of the neck of the shirt. However, with this known type of package, the stifiening member has not prevented the collar of the shirt from becoming crushed in transit.

Moreover, it is also known to return a laundered shirt to a customer, packaged on a paperboard stiffening member which is located within the folds of the shirt, said stiffening member being provided with an upstanding inner end wall. The lower edge of the inner end wall has been integrally and hingedly connected to an upstanding outer end wall which has been parallel to the upstanding inner end wall and the outer end wall has been integrally and hingedly connected to a cover-part adapted to be folded over the neck portion of the shirt. The cover-part has been provided with a pair of depending wings as well as with a hingeable curved stiffening member adapted to be located about the exterior of the neck of the shirt. However, with this known type of package, neither the curved stiflening member nor the wings have prevented the collar from being crushed when in transit.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to overcome the above disadvantages by providing a container which is simple in construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and which requires a minimum of labour to assemble.

Accordingly, the present invention relates, in combination, to a garment having a folded collar, and a container for said garment, said container including:

(i) a bottom;

(ii) a pair of mutually opposed walls;

(iii) at least one intermediate wall connecting adjacent ends of said pair of walls together and normal thereto, all of said walls being articulated to said bottom and being substantially perpendicular thereto, said intermediate wall including:

(a) an outer wall member articulated to the bottom;

p ce

(b) a pair of inner wall members each articulated to the upper edge of said outer wall member;

(0) a pair of primary extensions each articulated to an associated said one of said pair of mutually opposed walls and extending normal thereto so as to form a pair of wall members intermediate said outer and said inner wall members;

(d) at least one locking tongue projecting from the lower edge of each said inner wall member;

(iv) a pair of slots in said bottom adjacent said intermediate wall and each adapted to receive an associated said locking tongue;

(v) an upper member articulated, at one end thereof, to the upper edge of said outer wall member and extending substantially normal thereto;

(vi) a wing memberarticulated to the other end of said upper member and adapted to extend downwardly therefrom;

(vii) a pair of mutually opposed side members each articulated to an associated marginal side edge of said upper member and adapted to extend downwardly therefrom, each of said side members being spaced a predetermined distance from said inner wall member;

(viii) at least one lower member adapted to extend substantially parallel with, and spaced from, said upper member, said lower member being articulated to the lower edge of one of said side members;

(ix) retaining means on said lower member adapted to cooperate with the remaining side member to form a local bottom closure and to maintain said side members in spaced relationship with one another; whereby:

when said garment is within said container, said wing member is located within the folds of the collar and said lower and side members are located entirely within the confines of said collar, a portion of said collar, remote from the wing member being located between said inner Wall members and adjacent ends of said side members, said upper member and the upper edges of said walls serving, when stacked immediately below an adjacent and upper container, to support the latter and thereby prevent crushing of the garment in the lower container.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a one-piece blank adapted to form a container for packaging a garment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container formed by the blank shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container formed by the blank of FIG. 1 but showing a garment in situ;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an alternative form'of onepiece blank adapted to form a container for a garment;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section through an erected container formed by the one-piece blank shown in FIG. 5 and showing the garment in situ;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a third form of one-piece blank capable of forming a modified type of container;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section through an erected container formed by the one-piece blank shown in FIG.

7, and showing the garment in situ; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are detail views of an alternative form of lock.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, a first type of onepiece blank is provided, said blank being cut and scored so as to have a main panel 1 provided with a pair of mutually opposed side wall panels 2 each articulated to an adjacent marginal edge of the main panel 1 along a first common score line 3. Each of the side wall panels 2 is provided with a primary extension panel 4, 4', articulated thereto, respectively, along V 13' forming the top surface of the channel member.

3 an associated second common score line 5, 5 which are normal to the first common scorelines 3. The main panel 1 is also articulated, along a third common score line 6 in alignment with the score lines 5, 5', to a primary outer end wall panel 7, said latter panel extending between the pair of primary extension panels 4, 4'. The primary outer end wall panel 7 is articulated, along a fourth common score line 8, to a pair of primary inner end wall panels 9, said fourth common score line 8 being spaced from and parallel to the common score line 6. The free marginal side edge of each of the pnimary inner end wall panels 9 is provided with a locking tongue 10, which, as *will be described hereinafter, iscapable of engaging a substantially correspondingly dimensioned locking slot 11 formed in the main panel 1 adjacent to the primary outer wall panel 7 and parallel with the common score line 6. The primary outer end wall panel 7 is also articulated, by means of a fifth common score line 12 substantially in alignment with said fourth common score line 8, to a secondary panel 13 which terminates, at one end thereof, in an elongated and partially curved tab 14 which is articulated tothe secondary panel 13 along an eighth common score line 14'; Each side of the secondary panel 13 is, respectively, articulated along a sixth common score line 15 to a tertiary panel 16, the score lines 15 converging towards one another as they approach the tab 14. Each free marginal side edge of each tertiary panel 16 is articulated to a sub,- sidiary panel 17 along a seventh common score line 18.

As will be seen from FIG. 1, each of the subsidiary 7 shown in FIG. 1, it is merely necessary for the pair of side wall panels 2 to be bent along the first common score lines 3 so that each of said panels projects perpendicular to the main panel 1. Thereafter it is merely necessary for'the primary extension panel 4 to be bent about its associated second common score line '5 so that it projects normal to the end wall panel 2 and perpendicular to the main panel 1. 'Similarly, the primary extension panel 4 is bent about its second commonsco-re line 5 so as to extend normal to its associated side wall panel 2 and so as to be perpendicular to the main panel 1 and to lie in parallel face-to-face contact with the primary extension panel 4', said panels 4, 4' thereby forming a primary intermediate end wall.

The components will then have reached the stage shown in FIG. 2 with the exception that the curved tab has not been shown as being folded along its eighth common score line 14'.

The shirt is then introduced into the container and the panel 13 folded about the central portion 12 of the fourth common score line 8 so that said panel 13 lies substantially parallel with the main panel 1.

As will be seen from FIG. 3, the curved tab 14 will, when it is folded along its eighth common score line 14, lie around the exterior of the eollarband of the shirt S with its ends located beneath the flaps of the collar C. The panel 13, pair of tertiary panels 16, and

pair of subsidiary panels 17, will thus be all located with-,

in the confines of the neck N of the collar C, with the exception that, due to the terminal vertical end edge,

remote from the tab 14, of each of the tertiary panels 16 being slightly spaced from the pair of primary inner end wall panels 9, a pair of recesses will be provided to receive and accommodate, in a localized manner, the upper edge of a portion of the back of the collarband.

' Due to the fact that a portion of the upper edge of the collarband of the shirt S is located within the pair of Thereafter, the primary outer end wall panel 7 is bent along the third common score line 6 so as to project perpendicular 'to the main panel 1, to form a primary I this position, each locking tongue 10 will be frictionally engaged with an associated locking slot 11 in the main panel '1. Thereafter, each tertiary panel 16 is bent about its sixth common score line 15 so as to project normal to the secondary panel 131, to form a pair of mutually opposed side members of a channel member, said secondary panel Each subsidiary panel 17 is then folded along-its seventh cornmon score line18 so as to project normal to its associated tertiary panel 16 and whereby the pair of locking slots 19 are interlocked with one another whereby said subsidiary panels form a local bottom closure member for project normal to the panel 13.

locking slots 27.

recesses 39 and the curved tab 14 is located around the front of the collarband and under the flaps of the collar, the shirt S will be retained in position within the container. Moreover, due to the fact that the pair of subsidiary panels 17 interlock with one another and lie substantially parallelwith the main panel 1 and in contact with the back of the shirt S, and due to the fact that portions of the lower edge of the tertiary panel 16 abut the interior of the back of the shirt, that portion of the container defined by the panel 13, pairof tertiary panels 16, and pair of subsidiary, panels 17, will serve as a pedestal support. Consequently, when another packaged shirt, i.e. a shirt packaged in a similar type of container, is placed on the top of an adjacent undercontainer, the shirt in the latter will not become crushed,

' due to the channel member of the lowermost container,

as well as the upper edges of the side walls 2 and end walls 7, 9 of said latter container, supporting the weight of the upper container. 7

Anotherform of the invention can be constructed from the type of one-piece blank shown in FIG. 5, said blank being substantially the same as the type of one-piece blank shown in FIG/1 with the exception that, as will be seen from FIG. 5, each side wall panel 2 remote from the inner end wall panels 9, is provided with an auxiliary extension panel 20, 20' articulated thereto, along an associated ninth common score line 21. Moreover, the main panel 1, at the end remote from the primary outer end wall panel 7, is provided with an auxiliary outer end wall panel 22 articulated thereto along a tenth common score, line 23. The auxiliary outer end'wall panel 22 is articulated to an auxiliary innerend wall panel 24 along an eleventh common score line 25, the free marginal'side edge of said auxiliary inner end wall panel 24' being provided with a pair of locking tongues 26 projecting therefrom. Located adjacent the common score line,

23, and incised in the main panel 1, is a pair ofspaced The type of container formed by the one-piece blank shown in FIG. 5, is eminently suitable for the packaging e of shirts, eitherfor return from a laundry, or alternatively,from the manufacturer to the retailer in connection with new. packaged shirts. The formation of the onepiece blank shown in FIG. 5 to form a container, is substantially the same as that described above in connection in FIG. 5, is formed and folded in substantially the same manner as that described in connection with the upper endjof the one-piece blank shown in FIG. 1 However, the lower end of the blank shown in FIG, 5 is folded so that the auxiliary extension' panels 20, 20 'are folded along their respective and associated ninth common score lines 21 whereby they project normal to the side walls 2 and are in alignment with one another. Thereafter, the auxiliary outer end wall panel 22 is folded along its tenth common score line 23 so that it projects perpendicular to the main panel 1 to form an auxiliary outer end wall and the auxiliary inner end wall panel 24 is folded along its eleventh common score line 25 so that it projects downwardly into the container to form an auxiliary inner end wall, with the pair of auxiliary extension panels 20, 20' located between said auxiliary outer end Wall 2 and the auxiliary inner end wall 24 forming an auxiliary intermediate end wall. The locking tongues 26 of the auxiliary inner end wall 24 engage the locking slots 27 so as to retain the structure in erected condition. If desired, the type of container formed from the one-piece blank of FIG. 5 can be provided with a top closure (not shown).

A still further alternative type of container can be formed from the one-piece blank shown in FIG. 7, where like reference numerals have been employed. As will be seen from the accompanying drawings, the one-piece blank shown in FIG. 7 is quite similar to that which is shown in FIG. 1. However, the main panel 1 of the blank shown in FIG. 7 is cut and scored so as to provide a sub-main panel la articulated to, and circumscribed by, the main panel 1 along a twelfth common score line 6a. As will be seen from FIG 7, said main panel 1 is provided, at its marginal side edge remote from the outer end wall panel 7, with a reinforcing panel 1b which is articulated to said main panel 1 along a thirteenth common score line 10, said reinforcing panel 1b being provided, at its free marginal end edges, with a pair of locking tabs 101 each of which is adapted to engage a locking slot 12 incised in each side wall panel 2, and which lie adjacent to, and parallel with, each first common score line 3.

The formation of the one-piece blank shown in FIG. 7 to a container, is substantially the same as that described above in connection with the one-piece blanks illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, or, in other words, the upper end of the one-piece blank, as viewed in FIG. 7, is folded and formed in substantially the same manner as that described in connection with the upper end of the onepiece blanks shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. However, in forming the lower end of the blank shown in FIG. 7, the side wall panels 2 are folded upwardly along the first common score lines 3, so that they are perpendicular to the main panel l, and the reinforcing panel 117 is folded along the thirteenth common score line 10 so that it lies in face-to-face contacting relationship with the underedge of said main panel 1. Consequently, the locking tabs 1d on the free marginal end edges of said reinforcing panel 1b, engage the locking slots la in said side wall panels 2. Thereafter, the sub-main panel In is folded upwardly along the twelfth common score line 6a so that it substantially assumes the position shown in FIG. 8. Thus, when a shirt is folded and placed in the container, as is illustrated in FIG. 8, the sub-main panel 1a provides a stiffening panel between the upper and lower folds of the shirt, and said reinforcing panel 1b, in combination with said locking tabs 1d and the associated locking slots 1e, provide strengthening means to the lower part of the main panel 1 which is disposed, as shown in FIG. 8, below the shirt.

It will be appreciated that, in its broadest aspect, the bottom closure for the channel member need not be formed by a pair of subsidiary panels 17, such as is shown in FIGURES l to 8, but it may, and if desired, be formed from a single subsidiary panel 17 such as is shown in FIGURE 9. As will be seen from FIGURE 9, the length of subsidiary panel 17 has been increased so as to open the width between the tertiary panels 16 and, moreover, it is provided with a locking tongue 17a adapted to co- 6 operate with a locking slot 17b formed in the opposite tertiary panel 16 as is shown in FIGURE 10.

I claim:

1. In combination a garment having a folded collar, and a container for said garment, said container includmg:

(i) a bottom;

(ii) a pair of mutually opposed walls;

(iii) at least one intermediate wall connecting adjacent ends of said pair of walls together and normal thereto, all of said walls being articulated to said bottom and being substantially perpendicular thereto, said intermediate wall including:

(a) an outer wall member articulated to the bottom; (b) a pair of inner wall members each articulated to the upper edge of said outer wall member; (0) a pair of primary extensions each articulated to an associated said one of said pair of mutually opposed Walls and extending normal thereto so as to form a pair of wall members intermediate said outer and said inner wall members;

(d) at least one locking tongue projecting from the lower edge of each said inner wall member;

(iv) a pair of locking slots in said bottom adjacent said intermediate wall and each receiving an associated said locking tongue;

(v) an upper member articulated, at one end thereof, to the upper edge of said outer wall member and extending substantially normal thereto;

(vi) a wing member articulated to the other end of said upper member and adapted to extend downwardly therefrom;

(vii) a pair of mutually opposed side members each articulated to an associated marginal side edge of said upper member and adapted to extend downwardly therefrom, each of said side members being spaced a predetermined distance from said inner wall member;

(viii) at least one lower member adapted to extend substantially parallel with, and spaced from, said upper member, said lower member being articulated to the lower edge of one of said side members;

(ix) retaining means on said lower member adapted to cooperate with the remaining side member to form a local bottom closure and to maintain said side mem- Eers in spaced relationship with one another; wherewhen said garment is within said container, said wing member is located within the folds of the collar and said lower and side members are located entirely within the confines of said collar, a portion of said collar, remote from the wing member being located between said inner wall members and adjacent ends of said side members, said upper member and the upper edges of said walls serving, when stacked immediately below an adjacent and upper container, to support the latter and thereby prevent crushing of the garment in the lower container.

2. The combination according to claim 1 including:

(i) an additional lower member articulated to the remaining side member and adapted, upon bending, to extend substantially normal to said remaining side member; and

(ii) retaining means on said additional lower member cooperating with the retaining means on said one lower member to maintain the side members in spaced relationship, the said pair of lower members thereby forming a local bottom closure.

3. The combination according to claim 1 including:

(i) a reinforcing member articulated to a terminal end edge, remote from said intermediate wall, of said opposed walls, each said slot being located adjacent said bottom and being adapted, upon bending of said reinforcing member, to cooperate with an associated said locking tongue on the reinforcing member, to retain the terminal ends of said pair of mutually opposed walls, remote from said intermediate Wall, sub stantially perpendicular to said bottom and said reinforcing member in its said face-to-face .contact with said bottom; and

(iv) a sub-bottom articulated to, and circumscribed by, said bottom and adapted, upon bending, and when said garment is positioned within said container to be located between the folds of the garment thereby to serve as a stiffening member.

4. The combination according to claim 1 including:

(i) a further intermediate wall connecting adjacent ends remote from said first-mentioned intermediate 6 wall, of said pair of walls together and being nor- 7 mal thereto, said Wall being articulated to said bot: tom and being substantially perpendicular thereto and including:

(a) an auxiliary outer wall member articulated to the bottom; a (b) an auxiliary inner wall member articulated opposed walls and extending normal theretoso as p 'to form a pair of auxiliary wall members inter- 'mediate said auxiliary outer and said auxiliary inner wall members; 7 (d) at least one looking tongue projecting from the lower edge of said auxiliary inner wall member; (ii) at least one further locking slot in said bottom adjacent said auxiliary intermediate Wall and adapted to receive said locking tongue to retain said pair of mutually opposed Walls and said auxiliary intermediate wall substantially perpendicular to said bottom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Bamburg Q 22934 7 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION A GARMENT HAVING A FOLDED COLLAR, AND A CONTAINER FOR SAID GARMENT, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING: (I) A BOTTOM; (II) A PAIR OF MUTUALLY OPPOSED WALLS; (III) AT LEAST ONE INTERMEDIATE WALL CONNECTING ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID PAIR OF WALLS TOGETHER AND NORMAL THERETO, ALL OF SAID WALLS BEING ARTICULATED TO SAID BOTTOM AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR THERETO, SAID INTERMEDIATE WALL INCLUDING: (A) AN OUTER WALL MEMBER ARTICULATED TO THE BOTTOM; (B) A PAIR OF INNER WALL MEMBERS EACH ARTICULATED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID OUTER WALL MEMBER; (C) A PAIR OF PRIMARY EXTENSIONS EACH ARTICULATED TO AN ASSOCIATED SAID ONE OF SAID PAIR OF MUTUALLY OPPOSED WALLS AND EXTENDING NORMAL THERETO SO AS TO FORM A PAIR OF WALL MEMBERS INTERMEDIATE SAID OUTER AND SAID INNER WALL MEMBERS; (D) AT LEAST ONE LOCKING TONGUE PROJECTING FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF EACH SAID INNER WALL MEMBER; (IV) A PAIR OF LOCKING SLOTS IN SAID BOTTOM ADJACENT AND INTERMEDITE WALL AND EACH RECEIVING AN ASSOCIATED SAID LOCKING TONGUE; (V) AN UPPER MEMBER ARTICULATED, AT ONE END THEREOF, TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID OUTER WALL MEMBER AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THERETO; (VI) A WING MEMBER ARTICULATED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID UPPER MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM; 